“Beige interiors are banished, making way for color and pattern, and the forgotten ceiling is now a decorating playground ready to be wallpapered, lacquered, gilded, or plastered with abandon.”
—Martyn Lawrence Bullard
“I predict that classic, traditional design elements will be back in a big way in 2018! They’ve certainly never gone away entirely, but over the past few years, everyone has gone mad for modern. Given the uncertainty of our current political and social climate, it makes sense that people would gravitate to classic, sure-fire favorites to make their homes a true respite from the rest of the world. Get ready for antiques, traditional brown furniture, and printed fabrics such as floral chintzes to make their mark in the new year.”
—Paloma Contreras
“So many cotton velvets are now available, with greater durability and in more colors than ever before. This dates back to the yellow velvet sofa seen in Jenna Lyons’s Brooklyn brownstone many years ago, but now a velvet sofa suddenly feels attainable, and necessary.”
—Suzanne and Lauren McGrath
“We’ll continue to see handmade ceramics dominate home accessories. In our tech-driven world, we all need handmade pieces in our lives! I expect to see these objects become even larger and more sculptural than before and in alluring, matte glazes.”
—Peter Dunham
“[This year] will be dominated by pattern. Tropical vibes will be seen as a mainstay in design across the board with ’80s shapes and overscale upholstery taking place of the more tailored mid-century shapes seen prominently in the last couple of years.”
—Martyn Lawrence Bullard
“Details are becoming more and more important in home design. Whether it is wood marquetry, tassel fringe, or intricate patterns, details are playing a more important role in all parts of interior design.”
—Timothy Corrigan
“Gone are the all white subway-tile kitchen backsplash backgrounds. Today’s kitchens are designed with colorful, handmade ceramic tiles in a variety of colors and sizes, including squares. Tiles are thicker, and more rustic-looking overall.”
—Suzanne and Lauren McGrath
“While we consider white kitchens beautiful, timeless, and classic, we predict they have reached the peak of popularity. In 2018, look out for darker, moodier, dramatic kitchens that will wow you with their sultry and saturated colors.”
—Jean Liu
“In new homes and apartments, traditional dining rooms aren’t being used like they once were, especially in homes and apartments where open-concept living/kitchen areas are the norm. To maximize usable space, many people are converting the dining room into a library or media room. Homeowners and apartment dwellers are finding ways to create spaces designated for reading and watching TV.”
—Suzanne and Lauren McGrath
“Good lighting still remains key to making any room feel warm and inviting, but we think chandeliers are going to take a back seat to oversize pendants this year. Not so long ago, pendants were used in smaller areas such as an entry or over a kitchen island (in groups, at that), but expect larger-than-life pendants to work their way over dining areas this coming year. We still love our chandeliers, but the pendant’s single light source is a nice change.”
—Jean Liu
